Local Sports Briefs

Senior pitcher Andrew Elliott was selected by Baltimore Wednesday in the Major Baseball Draft. He was drafted by the Orioles in the 30th round with the 913th pick.

Elliott (Wheelersburg, OH/Wheelersburg) was the Horizon League Relief Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive season in 2015 as well as a First Team All-League honoree. He tied for the league lead in saves with 11 as he posted a 5-4 record with a 2.61 earned run average. Elliott recorded 56 strikeouts in 48.1 innings while holding the opposition to a .201 batting average.

“I am not sure I can put into words how happy I am for Andrew and his family,” said WSU head coach Greg Lovelady. “I have seen how much work he has put in and how dominant he was on the mound the last two years.”

“The Orioles got a really special and prepared kid and I am thoroughly excited to follow his professional career,” added Lovelady. “I know that he will represent the RaiderGang well.”

With the 11 saves in 2015, Elliott finished with 25 in his career, good for third on the all-time Raider list. He passed current Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim reliever Joe Smith (22) with three saves in the final regular-season series against Valparaiso at Nischwitz Stadium. Elliott also picked up a save in the league tournament versus UIC as the Raiders rallied for an 8-5 victory to advance to the championship.

Along with the 25 saves, Elliott struck out 146 batters in 144.1 innings during his WSU career in posting an 8-5 record with a 2.24 earned run average.

Elliott is the first Wright State player selected in the draft since Greg Robinson and Aaron Fields were drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Indians, respectively, in 2010.

Scouts edge out Settlers

NEWARK — The Xenia Scouts squeaked by the Licking County Settlers 4-3 Tuesday. The Scouts scored two runs in the fifth and sixth innings on. They had a total of six hits. The Settlers scored all three of their runs in the second inning.

Xenia’s Quentin McGrath pitched five innings, giving up six hits and three runs.

The Scouts play the Southern Ohio Copperheads at 7:05 p.m. today at Grady’s Field in Xenia.

PROFESSIONAL

MVPs to celebrate at Fifth Third Field

DAYTON — Local fourth and fifth-grade students will be able to participate in MVP Field Day with Dragons players from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. this Saturday at Fifth Third Field. The students from Clark, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, and Warren Counties were all recognized by their teachers through the “Dragons MVP Program” as having done something extraordinary inside or outside of the classroom this school year.

The Dragons MVP Program provides students, who are recognized by their teachers, with a unique opportunity to attend this special event where they will have a chance to meet the 2015 Dayton Dragons and enjoy a day of fun activities at Fifth Third Field. Among the activities scheduled are inflatable games, carnival games, mascots, complimentary ballpark snacks and a special treat from Bob Evans, a free team poster, “baseball skills” stations with the Dragons players, and an autograph session.

This is the tenth season for the Dragons MVP Program. More than 1,116 classrooms and 34,000 students participated during the 2015 season.

Each teacher selected five Dragons MVPs for their classroom, resulting in more than 6,000 students being recognized for their achievements in and out of the classroom.

Those children selected as Dragons MVPs received a customized certificate and complimentary tickets to enjoy a Dragons game at Fifth Third Field with their families. At the game, they received a specially designed Dragons MVP ball cap. MVPs also received tickets to the “MVP Field Day” to be held at the stadium on June 13.

Dragons games airing on TV

DAYTON — Dayton Dragons games today, Friday and Saturday will be televised from Fifth Third Field on WHIO Digital Channel 7.2 MeTV (channel 23 and digital channel 372 on most Time Warner Cable systems in the Miami Valley). The Dragons host the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers affiliate) on Thursday and Friday and the Beloit Snappers (Oakland Athletics affiliate) on Saturday. All three games start at 7 p.m. The games are available to more than 500,000 households.

Dragons Director of Broadcasting Tom Nichols will handle the play-by-play for each telecast this season. Mike Vander Woude will serve as color commentator on Thursday and Saturday while Jamie Ramsey will handle the commentator duties on Friday.